ABSTRACT
Korea has recently completed the full pattern of the demographic transition. This chapter focuses on the Korean demographic transition that is divided into five stages according to the level of fertility, mortality and migration. These are traditional stage, chaotic stage, transitional stage , re-stabilized stage, and stationary stage. The main objective is to develop explanations of why and how Korea passed through the fertility transition. The chapter explores the major factors which influenced the components of population growth to provide a satisfactory framework and means for wider empirical generalization. It provides the analysis of the inter-relationship between mortality and fertility in the process of the transition. The chapter focuses on whether migration can be incorporated into the demographic transition. Koreans used out-migration as their main response in the early transitional stage. Internal migration is also of important significance to the timing and pace of the fertility transition in Korea.
